OXFORD United manager Jim Smith says his Oxford United team are now playing for pride - to make sure they finish in the play-offs.

After leading the Nationwide Conference for the first half of the season, and at one stage being ten points clear of Dagenham, it has been a humbling experience to see the Daggers not only overhaul them, but storm to the title.

The U's boss virtually conceded the championship to them after Tuesday night's 1-0 defeat by Kidderminster, a second successive home loss, because John Still's side are 11 points clear and have a game in hand on them.

"Two games ago I genuinely felt we could catch Dagenham," he said.

"But losing both these matches has put it out of sight really."

What is important for the U's, at this stage, is that they find the form they will need to take into the play-offs. But first they need to secure a top five place, and they may still need five more wins to do that.

Said Smith: "We've got nine games left and we've obviously got to try to win as many of that nine as we possibly can.

"The players know that they haven't done as well as they should have done in the last two home games.

"They've got nine games left to rectify that so that we're in the play-offs worse-ways . . . and who knows what else may happen?

"It's all about pride now. It's their pride that matters, and that's what they're playing for really."

It's undoubtedly been a bad week for Oxford United, particularly with the two poor performances coming in front of their own fans.

"The disappointment was Saturday," Smith said.

"Credit to Forest Green, they came to defend and to work hard, and do that side of it well, but we slept in for two corners.

"Kidderminster came with nothing to lose, halfway to Wembley in the FA Trophy, and I thought they were the better team in the first half.

"In the second half, you've got to make your own luck, and Yemi (Odubade) had the opportunity to score two goals. The first one was harder to miss than to score.

"If we'd have gone in front, we'd have won the game. I think their interest would have only carried on for so long. The goal . . . Pele would have been pleased with that!"

The U's now have three games in eight days in which they will be without - for two of the three - key players through suspension.

Leading scorer Rob Duffy and on-loan midfielder Martin Foster both have two-game suspensions.

Duffy's ban means he misses Altrincham tomorrow and the trip to Halifax on Wednesday.

Foster's suspension means he has to sit out the two Sky TV games, first at his parent club Halifax, and then the home clash with Dagenham on Monday, March 26.

It's thought Foster wouldn't have played against the Shaymen anyway, although there was nothing in the loan contract to say he couldn't.

Without Duffy, the U's are going to have to find goals from somewhere else.

And there are a few who are due a goal. Andy Burgess, for instance, has not scored since the 2-1 defeat at Exeter on New Year's Day.

And while six goals came from substitutes in the first three months of the season, not one sub has come up with a goal in the four months since, despite more subs being used earlier in games.